Council REJECTS Greater Manchester housing masterplan - months after agreeing to it

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Oldham councillors voted to reject a controversial housing masterplan designed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority - just months after agreeing to the scheme.

The ‘Places for Everyone’ (PfE) framework sets house building targets and conditions in nine of the ten Greater Manchester boroughs.

At a council meeting on November 6, officers set out a report advising the council against withdrawing from the scheme at this late stage.

But in a narrow vote of 30 to 29, Lib Dems, Conservative and Independent councillors rejected the report. Leader of the opposition, Howard Sykes, who requested the report in July, told the council: “This report tries to present to members that there is only one option - to remain in Places for Everyone or the sky will fall in, and lose precious green spaces in pursuit of unaffordable housing that will price out local people.” READ NEXT: Murder probe as man, 59, found dead and police cordon off two homes Coun Sykes suggested that by rejecting the report, opposition leaders have forced the hand of senior leadership, who will need to write to the Secretary State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, asking to have the borough removed from the plan.